Friends of the UNCG Libraries

Betsy Bernard and Daughter Martha Scherer The University Libraries recently had visit from Betsy Bernard and Luther Hodges, Jr., whose generosity made possible the renovation of the Special Collections Reading Room named for their mother, Martha Blakeney Hodges.  With them were Betsy's daughter Martha, and her husband Eugene, who live in Vienna, Austria and had not seen the Room previously. Martha Blakeney Hodges ('18) was the first chairperson of the Friends of the Library when the organization was founded in 1959 at what was then Woman's College.  She was also the First Lady of North Carolina at that time.  Her husband Luther Hodges, Sr. was then governor of the state.

Beth Filar-Williams Beth Ann Koelsch Congratulations to the two newly-tenured members of the library faculty at UNCG. Beth Filar-Williams and Beth Ann Koelsch have both reached that status this spring. "I am so pleased that they have received tenure," says Dean of University Libraries Rosann Bazirjian. "It is well deserved - they are both excellent librarians--innovative, dedicated  and very hardworking. They are experts in their respective areas of librarianship. Both Beth and Beth Ann are respected for their skill and knowledge both on campus and within the community." Filar-Williams is Coordinator of Library Services for Distance Learning, and is also completing a period of service as Interim Head of the Digital Media Commons.  Koelsch is Curator of the Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project.

On Tuesday May 13th,  over 100 individuals from Greensboro and the surrounding counties, converged on the Elliott University Center to take part in the first ever Triad Area Library Association (TALA) Paraprofessional Conference titled “Academic Libraries: Staying Relevant in Times of Change.”  Supported by the University Libraries at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), the Z. Smith Reynolds Library at Wake Forest University (WFU), and the Carol Grotnes Belk Library at Elon, the aim of the conference was to enhance the development of library paraprofessionals by providing workshops, presentations, discussion groups, and networking opportunities.  A total of six sessions focusing on a variety of important issues facing library staff members including customer service, emerging technologies, and disaster preparedness, were presented during the day.  In addition, the Director of UNCG’s Career Services, Patrick Madsen, gave a rousing lunchtime talk, ti...